Insights from Paula Begoun

Paula Begoun is a wonderful author. She is the Consumer Reports of the cosmetics industry. She calls herself the cosmetics cop. Although she now offers her own line of products which are cheap and good, earlier versions of her books have detailed instructions for at home facials and skin care from products you can get at the drug store or grocery store. Most libraries have copies of her books. In the third edition of Blue Eyeshadow Should Absolutely Be Illegal
she recommends using baking soda as a facial scrub. It is fabulous.

Another of her books, The Original Beauty Bible: Skin Care Facts for Ageless Beauty
also covers skin care. She has helped me to become a smarter shopper. And when I stopped over moisturizing my skin, my skin cleared up and started looking great. You don't need to spend a lot of money to have nice skin.
Diane

Editor's note: Paula has been kind enough to contribute to The Dollar Stretcher. You'll find her under "Begoun" in the author's index.

For normal skin:
Mix equal parts honey and yogurt or mix baking soda and water for an exfoliating mask
Ursula

Keep It Simple

After many years of horrible skin problems and acne, a dermatologist recommended this simple routine:

Dove unscented soap

14 cheap washcloths

Simply use the dove soap on a clean washcloth each time to wash your face using a circular motion to scrub away dead skin cells. Dove is the gentlest soap there is and cheap washcloths have a nubby texture that aids in exfoliation, which higher quality cloths do not have.

Get 14 washcloths for a fresh cloth twice a day, and be sure to wash and rinse them well. Many detergents such as Tide leave a residue on laundry that remains in items after washing and can be very irritating to the skin. I use half the amount of recommended detergent and rinse twice in cold water for all my laundry loads to eliminate this. Make sure you do not use a fabric softener or dryer sheets in the laundry as well since these also leave residue that can irritate the skin.

I am 30 years old, and after 14 years of horrible skin, my scars have healed. I use absolutely no smelly creams and only Neutrogena eye moisture cream around my eyes twice a day, as also recommended by the dermatologist. He also assures me that this is a lifetime routine and that in my 60s and 70s I can continue the same routine, without spending money on moisturizers etc. as Dove does not dry the skin, and allows your skins natural oils to do the moisturizing.
Rena

For a Peaches and Cream Complexion at Home

I'm sure you've heard the phrase "peaches and cream complexion." Well, there's a reason why those particular foods were selected. Peaches and milk contain natural alpha-hydroxy acids (plus peaches have high amounts of vitamin A and C) which increase the rate at which your skin cells renew themselves resulting in younger-looking, more vibrant skin with fewer wrinkles. Beauty products containing alpha and beta hydroxy acids can be extremely pricey and I've found that all-natural homemade stuff works better as well as being much cheaper! The only drawback is that you have to make it up fresh -- there's no shelf life.

About a year ago I saw a segment on Queen Latifah's talk show on how to make your own facials using household fruit and oils and a blender. I tried their peach facial and it worked really well (plus tasted good whenever I licked my lips)! Since then, I've simplified the recipe.

Simply cut a slice from a ripe peach and rub it all over your face. You'll look pretty silly with peach smeared on your face, but leave it on for 20 or more minutes and then rinse off. If the peaches in your supermarket are less than juice-dripping ripe, as is the case for most of the year, you can take a whole peach, pit it, and puree it in the blender and smear that on your face (and then eat the leftovers, yummy).

I experimented with making a moisturizing facial from cream and honey. Warm a tablespoon of cream in the microwave for 5 or 6 seconds (you don't want it to get to boiling) and add 1/4 teaspoon honey. Stir and pat onto your face. I used to add a drop of vitamin e to this and use it as a daily moisturizer. My skin looked amazing! The problem was, it was also slightly sticky.

Please keep in mind that no amount of fussing with your skin will help it if it isn't getting enough nutrients. Our skin is a living organ -- the largest organ in our body. Smearing stuff on the outside won't help if its cells aren't being nourished from the inside. The three most important nutrients for skin seem to be vitamins A (beta-carotene), E, and C. Eating right, not smoking, and drinking lots of water go a long way in having radiant skin.
Justine

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